Split with PM Muhyiddin no threat to Malay unity: Umno

Umno kicked off its annual national congress yesterday by accusing critics of politicising Malay Muslim unity to pressure Malaysia's largest party into continuing an unbeneficial pact with Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin's Perikatan Nasional (PN) coalition.

The claim comes just weeks after Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi told Tan Sri Muhyiddin the party would withdraw from government once Parliament is dissolved and not cooperate with the Premier's Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia at the next election.

Detractors, some from within Umno, have decried the move as breaking up the sought-after "Perpaduan Ummah" (Muslim Unity) as the existing ruling pact involves the country's three main Malay Muslim parties including Parti Islam SeMalaysia (PAS).

This weekend's gathering, delayed twice since December because of Covid-19, has been cut to two from the usual five days.

Deputy president Mohamad Hasan opened the meetings of the youth, women's and young women's wings, calling fresh polls - expected soon after the coronavirus-induced state of emergency is lifted by August - a "must win", so the once-dominant Umno can return to power.

"Although Umno is part of the PN government, its role is isolated and not dominant. We bow more than rise as the core," the former Negeri Sembilan chief minister said of the party, which supplies the most number of MPs to Mr Muhyiddin's administration.

Datuk Seri Mohamad told a press conference after his speech that "there's no two ways about" Umno reclaiming the premiership it lost three years ago. "There's no use winning without leading the country (ourselves)," he said.

Mr Mohamad dismissed claims that Muslims were split, saying cooperation with former nemesis PAS resulted in a string of by-election victories, since Umno shockingly lost its six-decade grip on power at the 2018 general election.

"Nonetheless, let us not regard Muslim unity merely on the basis of Malay parties being in the same political pact. The call for unity must be read in a larger context, across political ideology, the pursuit of power and social status," he said, pointing out that Umno and PAS only have about four million members, when dozens of millions of Malays remain partyless.

Mr Mohamad also poured scorn on "leaders of a splinter Malay party" - a thinly veiled reference to the four-year-old Bersatu - "who have no record of uniting Malays and Malaysians".

"In reality, they are anti-Malay unity. They have never championed any unity efforts. Only when their survival and the relevance of their party is under threat, then they rush to talk about unity. We will not prostitute (Malay unity) for narrow political goals," he said.

The well-received speech came ahead of an expected resolution at today's main general assembly to formally endorse the decision to part ways with Bersatu once polls are called.

In his policy speech, Umno Youth chief Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki sneered at "the party that was formed to replace us". He said: "They talk about integrity but they are treacherous. They talk about unity but they sow division."

However, Mr Mohamad left the door open to "strategic" considerations "based on value and terms that benefit Umno... which is ever ready to discuss and explore avenues to solve the national political crisis".

"Any party that wants to cooperate with us must be certain of Umno's capability to be the core driver, not the second stringer, to be collected to fulfil quotas or required seats," he said, referring to the prospect of clashes among Malay parties for the 222 parliamentary and 600 state assembly constituencies at stake.

"Umno will not gamble away any of our seats. Umno seats are Umno seats, then, now, and forever, not to be given away as a lifeline to any party."